Echoes from the Abyss
by Cepheus Noir
Summary: Lucy gave her a pleading look. "Susan please, listen to me. Are you ever going to talk about Nar-" "No. I made it quite clear that I was done with that fantasy. We have real magic to learn at Hogwarts," she said flatly, boarding the Hogwarts Express to put distance between them. AU
1. A Distant Dream

Chapter 1 A Distant Dream

Susan drew a sigh as she looked back. Lucy ran back to her brothers who were bidding their parents farewell. It was a little mean to shut her out, she thought, but she didn't want to hear another word about _that_ place. She was done with thinking about it. It was just a childhood memory now, nothing more. Besides, after visiting America a few years ago, she felt she had found true purpose to her magic. She got to experience the gift from a whole new perspective and at the same time saw what the American muggle world had to offer. Which, to put it bluntly, was a lot indeed. Of course, getting to spend alone time with her parents didn't hurt either. The result of that trip was renewed zeal for life as she went through her fifth year. She reconnected with her friends, brought her grades up, and passed her O.W.L.S with flying colours. She even shared some of the new muggle products from America with her friends, and surprisingly found pleasant feedback. Susan was moving forward in life, and as she levitated her trunk behind her, all she could think of was the upcoming year at Hogwarts. That was, until she collided into another student.

"I'm sorry Mist-" she began, only to her an all too familiar laugh.

"No worry darling, I didn't realise I was that distracting," the taller boy said, shooting her an amused look.

"Gus, you prat!" she exclaimed, mildly blushing at her boyfriend's teasing.

"Sorry darling, I should be more respectful to a lady," he said giving her a deep bow, exaggerating his pureblood mannerisms. He quickly followed up by kissing her hand gently, causing her blush to redden.

Augustus Rookwood had asked to court her early in the spring, and the summer had not pushed them apart, even though all their communication was by owl. She had visited him once in the summer and missed him dearly. Despite her status as a muggleborn, his parents seemed to approve of their courtship, which was a definite relief. Now, staring his smiling face, she could see that he was still being rather silly.

"Yes, you should," she reprimanded lightly. "But come; let's go get some seats before all the compartments fill up." She waived her wand and levitated her trunk once again, it being relatively unscathed by their kerfuffle.

"I saw Isla, Claudia, Trevor, and Ekua in a compartment at the end of the car," he mentioned.

"And I assume your trunk is already there," she asked, beginning to follow him to the hall.

"Of course. Wouldn't want to miss out on the pre-NEWTS notes," he responded, navigating around younger students trying to find their own compartments. Susan used her peripherals to make sure her siblings weren't following her to talk about a childhood game she wished to put behind her.

"You know, I think we're the only house that does those," she noted.

"Well, then the 'puffs, snakes, and lions can cry when exams rear their ugly heads," was his response, glancing toward her as they neared the compartment door. "Where's Athena?"

"I sent her flying ahead to the castle, and shrunk her cage," she replied before sliding into the boisterous compartment, pulling her boyfriend in with her. Her friends had been joined by another three of her classmates and they were laughing at poor Trevor who had the misfortune of not moving fast enough to avoid his cards exploding. He was covered in a bit of soot, and didn't look too pleased but quickly changed expressions upon seeing the compartment's newcomers. However, it was Ekua who reached Susan first.

"Susan! It's so good to see you," she said as she hugged her, quickly joined Claudia and Isla too, leaving Augustus to awkwardly maneuver around them to sit down next to Trevor. The girls quickly disentangled, and Susan floated her trunk to the luggage rack, setting it down gently before she went to sit down between Gus and Isla.

"By the way, I win the bet this year," announced Ekua proudly. Susan sighed.

"What was it this year?" she asks. It's been this way ever since they found an arrowhead in her hair in third year. She doesn't linger too long on that now unpleasant memory.

"A boy," Ekua says simply. Claudia is outraged.

"He wasn't in her hair!" she exclaims.

"But didn't you say that was how the idiomatic expression is used here in England? You try to get people out of your hair?" Ekua counters, her bright teeth flashing from behind her dark lips. Claudia's eyes narrow.

"She has a point, Claudia. We didn't specify figures of speech as off limits," pipes Isla, finally joining the conversation again, while Trevor watches the whole thing with amusement. Susan noticed at that moment Gus' hand was reaching for her hair. She shot him a baleful glare and his hand retreated to his side, eliciting laughter from the whole cabin. The train finally began to lurch forward, beginning its journey through the sombre neighbourhoods of wartime London. Susan glanced back at the station, relieved she had said good bye to her parents earlier, and joined in the conversations of summer vacation's adventures. Each one was unique, from Ekua's epic travels ("I finally understand why my sister says Jamaica is like Takoradi!") to Claudia's great parties ("The summer ball was all the rage, Domitia Gamp was so jealous!"). Isla spent her time on the beaches of Devon ("In spite of all those arrow-plains, it was peaceful,") and Trevor told them of his summer romance ("She was from Beaubâtons, and since the school's exiled to Whitby, I thought I might as well try"

"Trever Ross, just cause you're from Whitby doesn't mean she'll automatically fall for you, ya know?")

That last story made all the girls roll their eyes at their friend's mild cluelessness. Eventually with all the tales out of the way, and as they made their way through the Midlands, the compartment quickly filled with books, as now it was time to see what they all needed to brush up on for N.E.W.T.S. Nearly all of them had chosen to keep Transfiguration, but beyond that there were many differences in their choices. The only person's schedule who matched with hers was her boyfriend's, an intentional choice. Even so, they all had a lot to learn, so they reviewed rigorously.

The sweets trolley came and went, as did the lunch trolley. The grey skies gave way to light rain, as their train passed through Lancashire. Everyone was in varying stages of fatigue, Susan noticed as she struggled to keep her eyelids open. Slowly the words of her Ancient Runes textbook blurred into darkness and she welcomed this well-deserved nap.

Yet soon enough she quickly regretted falling asleep as she found herself caught up in long buried memories. The sun's rays streamed through the halls of Cair Paravel, giving it a peaceful aura of early morning. Her siblings were preparing the last of their supplies, ready to embark on the Hunt of the White Stag. Most of the court was still sleeping, but Peter insisted they depart early, having bid loved ones good bye the night before. Edmund and Lucy had been ready to go for over an hour, calling for Susan from across the courtyard.

"Fair Sister, you need not sharpen your arrows a thousand times. Come down!" She recognized Lucy's exasperation and Edmunds deep laughter in the background. While she was ready to go, she wasn't ready to say good bye. Not yet. She turned to the small alcove hidden in the corner of her room. There seated on the dark blue chair was a sweet familiar face, deeply engrossed in a book on centaur magic.

"You're in my spot," she chided jokingly. Dark eyes looked up from the book, and she saw him smirk mischievously.

"I believe the last time this argument came up, we agreed to a…little exchange," he replied smoothly. "Or did I somehow imagine the whole thing?" She laughed at his penchant for the dramatic.

"Oh you definitely imagined the whole thing," she replied. "Complete fiction."

"I know your toying with me." He moved to put his book away.

"Can't get anything past you, can I? Well, at least with your telepathy."

"I wasn't reading your mind; I was simply reading your face"

"Susan! Peter is halfway to Beruna already! Hurry up!" cried Lucy from outside. Susan sighed as she looked into her husband's eyes. He came and held her close.

"I will dearly miss you," she said softly.

"I know," he replied, "as will I. But I'm sure the Hunt won't take more than a few days. Besides, you've needed a chance to spend time with your siblings for quite a while. Take it!" She saw the sadness in his eye replace quickly by a cool smile. He was definitely making it harder to leave, but she knew he was right. At least this once.

"Alright love, I'll see you before the solstice next week," she replied, giving him one last kiss before picking up her provisions and rushing to join Edmund and Lucy.

She felt a sense of foreboding as she became aware she was reliving the Hunt. Time seemed to speed up as they rushed to find the Stag, coming up to the Lantern Waste far faster than she wished. The memory of approaching the ominous lamp post struck fear in her heart. The dreadful feeling as she counseled her siblings to turn back in vain returning quick. Just like that, she tumbled out of the wardrobe. The shock of no longer being a queen, but a young school girl made her numb. Her siblings looked just as horrified. Peter opened the wardrobe door quickly, as though he wished to rush back to Narnia. She joined him quickly, only to collide with his back as he slammed into the wooden back wall. Both the elder Pevensie siblings desperately tried to find an opening, a crack, a hole, anything that would let them back into the homeland of their hearts. She saw her brother slumping to his knees in defeat. She wouldn't dare give up so easily. There had to be a way. She felt the tears streaming down her face as Edmund and Lucy pulled her back from the wardrobe. Sobbing for her loss, all she could hear was her siblings call her name.

"Susan," they pleaded.

"Susan!" That did not sound like Edmund anymore.

"Susan, wake up!"

She jolted awake in cold sweat. She glanced around the compartment and saw all her friends glancing at her. Still half dazed, she wondered what had happened. Glancing at her boyfriend, she saw his furrowed brow and worried eyes.

"Susan, are you under the weather?" asked Isla. "You look like your burning up."

"I'm fine," she mumbled. The dreams had her on edge.

"Make sure to get your inoculations at the infirmary when we get there," Claudia remarked casually. She nodded mutely as everyone settled back into stilted conversation. A few Slytherins in their year passed in the hall laughing. Trevor stared at them as they slipped from view, pausing before speaking up.

"Say, didn't there used to be another Slytherin when we first started here?" Ekua looked pensive at his remark.

"Now that you mention it, I am remembering there was." Susan tensed for a moment, though no one noticed.

"What was his name, again?" pondered Claudia aloud. "He definitely was not high society or I would've heard what happened to him ages ago." Susan continued to shift uncomfortably, trying to think of something to divert the conversation. She was on the cusp of asking about their proximity to Hogwarts when Gus exclaimed, "RIDDLE!"

"Yeah that's the one," agreed Trevor. "Tom Riddle." Susan blanched. This wasn't happening. He wasn't real.

"Whatever happened to him?" asked Claudia, glancing over to her pale friend. "Susan, I vaguely recall you telling me once you lived near him."

"I don't remember that," she replied far too quickly. Yet her friend was not picking up on her discomfort.

"I think you said he lived in…Kennington or something like that?"

"Kennington is nowhere near Finchley!" she snapped. The girls were surprised as Susan was usually the least temperamental of the group. At least that's what she'd let them believe.

"Or was that Islington? See I get all my London neighbourhoods mixed up," Claudia said in an attempt to defuse the tension.

"You should see how I felt when I first got to London," added Ekua. "We took the Underground the wrong way and ended up at Victoria Station, not King's Cross! Do you remember how I nearly missed the train that first year?" The boys started chuckling, and soon they had all returned to normal conversation.

"I'll go to the infirmary with you, if you'd like," whispered Isla, giving her an understanding smile.

Susan nodded and put on a brave face but she felt shaken. It had been years since anyone had mentioned that name here at Hogwarts. She hoped they'd all forgotten him. And yet his name still haunted her. Reminding her that perhaps that other place was more than child's play, loathe she was to admit it. Reminding her of the life she lost. The hope he was still alive crushed by the subsequent visit.

'No', she mentally declared, 'not again.' There was only Hogwarts now; one real magic and nothing else. Yet she couldn't help but feel worried that others might acknowledge his existence. If his name ever came up again, she would retell the official story. Tom Marvolo Riddle died in a bombing raid. Tragic, but a reality in London these days. So once again, she clamped down on any thoughts of the husband she pretended to have, in a land she pretended to live in, and excused herself to change into her uniform as the conductor announced their imminent arrival at Hogwarts.


	2. Castles and Kingdoms

**AN:** Hello! If you've held interest beyond the first chapter, Congratulations!

I want to first say that I will try to be somewhat regular in uploading these, but it will depend on my workload. It is indeed very AU and the Point of Divergence (or POD) obviously happens way before either LWW or Tom Riddle's years at Hogwarts. More info will be revealed as we go along about what those changes specifically are

Thank you to runrigrocks for following I hope this is your cup of tea!

Enjoy everyone!

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Chapter 2 Castles and Kingdoms

"Isla, how did you manage to do wordless transfiguration so quickly?" asked Claudia, frustrated with their most recent class.

"It takes some concentration," she puffed; exhausted from the amount of magical energy it took to produce the feat, along with the flights of stairs they had to climb. Susan looked back at her friends and smiled.

"We're only half way there!" she joked, feeling much better than she had all week. Most of it had been spent evading Peter and Lucy's attempts to talk to her about 'Narnia'. Why were they so insistent these past few weeks? Perhaps one day, out of the blue they were struck with an imperius and commanded to drive her insane. If that were the case, it was certainly working.

"I _was_ concentrating!" huffed Claudia, taking shallow breaths as she climbed.

"Breathe through your nose, dear," counseled Ekua, before stopping to take a few deep breaths herself. The girls paused upon reaching the top of the fifth floor staircase as it glided off to a new location. Susan was surprised at the fatigue they were experiencing, but so was everyone else.

"I didn't expect we'd overexert ourselves," panted Susan, leaning against the stone wall of the hallway.

"Perhaps it had to do with the stress we faced during class," pointed out Isla.

"Or the party the Seventh years threw in the common room last night," muttered Claudia. They all laughed a little at the comment.

"Well, Professor Dumbledore expects a lot from us. I mean, I think we _can_ achieve it. Just, maybe after dinner" concluded Ekua eliciting a round of laughter. Susan and Claudia ended up sitting down in the middle of the hall from their amusement. They were glad the corridor was empty, since the third year classes being held on this floor were still in session. Additionally, that meant it was less likely a teacher would be patrolling the hall, coming to scold them for improper behaviour as soon as they lay eyes upon the girls. Susan glanced up at the high gothic ceiling and down the corridor at the endless medieval swords, shields, and protective gear, a true armoury. It reminded her of another castle she'd once seen. She mentally sighed. 'Not again,' she thought. Try as she might, Peter and Lucy seemed to be succeeding in their other, very bothersome task.

If they hoped having her think of Cair Paravel, of…of Narnia, and of…people they knew, they would think twice about inciting her reaction. The beautiful halls of that ancient castle held nothing but bitterness, at least since that fateful first day of fourth year. Finding their home in ruins, their loved ones long gone, nothing but useless letters with empty promises from-

"Susan, did you fall asleep again? Are there fae attacking your brain?"

Isla's voice snapped her back into reality. She needed to remember to be grounded in her present whenever these thoughts came to her mind. While a kingdom long ago, in a distant land had some fantastic appeal, why should she need to search for magic when she was completely surrounded by it? Susan smiled at her friends who were rising from their impromptu seats, ready to resume their trek to the seventh floor Ravenclaw tower.

"Sorry, I must have been daydreaming," she replied.

"That is Isla's job," Ekua exclaimed, "You mustn't replace it." Isla made a face, as she swept her pale blond hair out of her eyes. Ekua turned to her, quickly adding. "Isla, you know I love hearing your daydreaming adventures. They keep me from dying in the Scottish Winter, especially when they include naming your first born Xenophilius." This did garner laughter again, while Isla, simply smiled and said, "At least you're paying attention. I throw unusual lines in there to make sure you don't fall asleep when I talk about Blubbering Humdingers. But, since you're so enamoured with the name I very well might just go through with my plan."

With that Susan rose from the ground and they made quick time up the last two flights of stairs. In spite of their speed, Susan paused to take in the castle's magic and beauty, which were really one in the same. Back in first year, when she'd finally gotten to see it, after hearing about its impressive nature from two years' worth of Peter's stories, she spent time discovering its' rooms and passageways, soaking in the sheer power of the structure. She smiled as she thought on those simpler times. That was what she resolved to do from now on. Look to her friends, look to her present, look to Hogwarts. This was her true kingdom.

They approached the bronze eagle that guarded their common room entrance in a much brighter mood than when they left class, the stress of Professor Dumbledore's torture methods behind them. Claudia tapped the knocker, and the eagle gave them yet another new riddle.

 _I sing, but I have no mouth,_

 _I play, yet I have no limbs,_

 _I speak, though I have no tongue._

The girls stared at each other for a long moment. There were days where they all understood the riddle instantaneously. Today was not one of those days.

"No limbs?" asked Claudia rhetorically. "Does it mean play music or play games?"

"I would say play music," reasoned Ekua, ignoring the rhetorical nature of the question.

"It could be an instrument," added Susan, remembering the big bands in New York and London.

"A flute?" offered Isla. The knocker did not respond.

"Susan! It's the wireless!" shouted a rapidly approaching voice.

"Well reasoned," replied the knocker, as they all turned to see Susan's younger brother running down the hall. There were some squawks of indignation from the others that a Hufflepuff, who'd barely heard the question got the answer, but as Edmund approached panting it seemed to be unrelated their riddle. Susan was surprised to see her brother so frazzled.

"How far did you run?" she asked trying to be a little light hearted. Seeing the look on Ed's face changed the situation.

"Susan, we got some news over the wireless," he said as calmly as he could. He was pale, and wringing his hands, a sign he'd displayed since he was a little boy whenever he was nervous. Her friends had already gone in, assuming that the two needed privacy for the moment.

"What happened? Was it a muggle or magical wireless station?" she asked, brow furrowing.

"Muggle," he replied, gulping. "There was a bombing raid in London this morning."

"Another one?" she asked, worried but trying to maintain calm for the sake of her brother. "Do you know what part of the city was hit?"

"They said North End and mentioned Euston Station," he replied. "Peter's trying to get the Headmaster to give him permission to floo call home and see if mum's ok."

"So he's using Head boy privileges already," she muttered to no one in particular.

"Susan, I know both of you haven't seen eye to eye lately," he began, "but we need to know, and Peter sent Arminius to London this morning, he won't get back 'till later this week." Her expression softened a bit, mostly out of concern for Edmund and her mother.

"Thank you for letting me know. By the way, I sent Athena yesterday, so she should be here by tomorrow." He responded with mock defiance.

"Still not quite fast enough, I'd say," he said, cocking an eyebrow. "Do you want to go see what news Peter got from Finchley?" his expression warmer and kinder now. It was amazing how he could conquer his nerves a time like this. Then again, she was doing exactly the same thing. He must've learned to copy her all those years ago when he stopped being a brat. She then reflected on his offer. She really didn't want to see her older brother right now, or her sister for that matter, but her concern for her mother was itching underneath her skin.

"Alright, to the Headmaster's we go," she smiled faintly, hoping her nerves wouldn't give out now. The corridors were filling up now that most of the classes where finishing, so quickly Susan felt like they were going nowhere.

"We need a shortcut." She couldn't agree more with his comment. Too many aimless bodies going ambulating at the pace of flobberworms was not helping her worries. She began thinking if her friends would worry where she'd gone. She clearly miscalculated how long this would take. Then she spotted a relatively empty flight of stairs. Her younger brother looked over to her and they wordlessly agreed to take that opening.

They were now making good time when suddenly the staircase began to lurch, causing Susan to stumble, grab the banister, and catch her wand from falling to the courtyard below. The staircase continued its journey, but she was relieved she was stable. The same could not be said for her brother. She finally saw he tumbled about a dozen steps before catching himself, and even then he was lying sideways. She held her breath. Any further and he would've fallen of the staircase. When the magical structure finally settled in its new position, she rushed down to his side, examining him quickly. Some younger students passed by gawking, but she paid them no mind. Edmund moaned a bit as he tried to get his bearings, and Susan quickly saw the blood from the cut on his forehead drip down his face.

"Here, don't move," she instructed as she conjured a handkerchief, quickly applying it to the wound.

"I'm fine Su, you know I've been through worse ba-quidditch matches before," he stammers, trying to be stoic for her sake.

"I don't care how many dangerous quidditch matches you've played, we're going to wash of the blood and get you patched up before we see Peter and Lu," she chided, falling into a familiar routine she'd had with her siblings. Making sure they were alive whenever they did reckless things was always her specialty.

"But it's they're not even flesh wounds," he said, showing her his cut up hands with a hint of whine in his voice. To this she shot him a look she'd always given when she meant no nonsense. It even worked on T-… that person she shouldn't be thinking about.

"Then we won't go to the infirmary, I know a place on this floor that's out of the way that we can deal with it. Here hold the handkerchief," she counseled, grabbing his wrist to pull him up as they turned down a nearby corridor. He argued with her, pointing out the flaws in her argument, and while her rational, logical mind would agree, she felt she needed this for herself as much as for him. It didn't help that her mind kept wandering to her friends and the study plans they had with the boys. She rounded the corner towards the nearest lavatory, and as soon as her brother saw where they were going, he began squirming.

"I'm not going into the girls' loo!" she rolled her eyes.

"You aren't going to die or get hexed, we just need a place for you to wash off the blood and where we can fix the blood on your robes. You'll be out in less than five minutes," she huffed, looking back at her bashful brother, red from blush. It amazed her that he was behaving this immature. He stopped acting like that since…a long time ago.

No matter, she opened the bathroom door, fortunate that there was no one else inside. Edmund gingerly walked in, looking as though he was trespassing on their father's study. 'To bad I can't send a letter to dad, I miss him' she thought, as she went to open the tap.

"Su, I think it's broken, try another one," said Edmund, pointing to the lack of water emerging from the faucet. Sure enough, she looked down and saw that his statement was correct, so she moved around the plinth to each sink , testing for water flow. Edmund joined in at some point, but even then her frustration continued to rise.

"Why won't you open!" she angrily muttered. Edmund came around to stand next to her, leaning over the sink and pulling out his wand.

"It's fine, I'll just clean it myself," he said, returning to his usual demeanour. She deflated.

"No need, put your wand away," she replied, sighing. "Don't aggravate your cuts. You might want to lean over the sink to keep your uniform dry." He nodded, returning the wand to its holster. He leaned his head over the sink, and let the remaining blood drip down into the basin instead of onto his clothes. Once his hands were stretched she pulled out her wand and cast aguamenti, cleaning the blood from the cuts. She muttered in frustration, responding defiantly to the sink in words taught to her long ago, a language believed to be unteachable, at least here at Hogwarts. Yet they were the only things that could convey her irritation.

::Open, you bloody waterspout!::

"What did you say?" he said, shooting up from where he was hunched over, banging his skull into her chin.

"Ow, bloody hell!" she cursed.

Without them realising, the plinth vanished, and Edmund lost his balance from the loss of his leaning post, Susan stumbling right after him. For the second time in a day, the siblings found themselves tumbling and in pain due to the Castle's interference. Only this time, it was into a gaping maw. Susan didn't even have time to scream before the sinks reappeared, water gushing from their taps.


	3. Hissing Noises

A.N. Hello there!

Thank you to all the people who have favourited, followed, and reviewed this story. I apologize for not having more frequent updates, but school is quite time consuming. I already have chapter 4 under production so hopefully it will be up in the next month or so, but no guarantees. In the mean time, here's some more story!

And don't forget to leave a review! I always appreciate the feedback

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Chapter 3 Hissing Noises

Edmund was shocked to hear his sister speak Parseltongue for the first time in many years. Yet his shock did not last. Before he knew what was happening, darkness swallowed him whole. He heard his sister scream louder than he'd ever thought humanly possible, and then it hit him.

'Oh hell, we're going to die!' he thought. He still his wand, both of them were falling quickly, and he had to make this count.

"Arresto Momentum!" he cried, willing himself to slow down, which worked quite effectively. Well, at least until he felt something slam in to him from above, shaking his concentration. Another something then slammed into him below, sending spasms of searing hot pain through his body. He didn't even notice the weight no longer pressed down on him, nor that he was rolling down the shaft walls to the bottom. All he felt was pain like the time he'd fallen off a horse in Archenland when he was a young king, or when he fell off his broom during practice last year. The fact that he could think about those things was a surprise, but maybe his mind was searching for a distraction, anything to keep himself numb.

It obviously wasn't working since he could feel his wet face and vaguely hear something making loud noises. A few seconds passed before he realized it was his voice screaming, not Susan's. Barely having made this realization, he felt a foul, bitter liquid shoved down his throat, causing him to sputter and choke. 'Merlin, it was disgusting!' After a few healthy coughs, he felt his pain subside, and for the first time he could actually attend to his surroundings. He immediately saw Susan, her brow furrowed, and her face lined with a few tears as she was softly cooing to him and healing his wounds, putting a corked potion vial back in her pocket.

"What was that?" he asked voice hoarse from screaming.

"Pain reliever," she murmured, starting to wrap some of the cuts in bandages. While he didn't feel the pain nearly as strong as before, his back was immensely sore, and moving to find an exit did not seem like an entertaining thought at the moment.

"Why do you have pain reliever on you?" he asked, trying to pull himself up with difficulty. He felt his sister push him back down, chiding him for overexertion.

"It's for headaches. I got from Madame Derwent after the welcome feast," she replied to humour him. "I keep them in a little moleskin pouch on my waist, but I don't think this one will survive another fall like that," she said showing him the damaged skin of the bag. With a quick glance, he definitely agreed with her verdict. He glanced up behind his sister's tired face to the stalactites dangling in the cavern high above. He was quite surprised at the size of the cave entrance, and though his efforts to look back up the pipe were unsuccessful due to the awkward position where he lay, he was sure he could see no light coming from above.

"Well, how do we get out of here?" he said wincing in discomfort. His sister finished tightening the last bandage before replying.

"Honestly Ed, I don't know," she replied, shoulders slumped. It hurt to see her like that, remembering how his sister used to be far happier. Losing Tom had changed her so much. Thoughts of his late brother-in-law sparked an idea in him. While he might not be as fluent as Susan, Tom had taught him basic phrases.

::Up!:: he hissed. His sister's eyes stared at him, confused.

::Go up!:: he tried, aware how awful his accent was.

"Are you mad?" asked Susan, hint of steel in her voice.

::Light!:: he tried this time, and the cavern responded. A pale green, almost yellow light illuminated the chamber, its source seemingly everywhere and yet nowhere. He couldn't help but grin at his solution, but one look at Susan and the grin slid of his face.

"Stop hissing!" she spat, eyes full of anger.

"It worked didn't it?" he replied slightly defensively.

"You're ramblings will not get us out of here!" she exclaimed, stress taking its toll on her. He felt intense frustration for her willful ignorance.

"You know what it is, and there's proof of it in the Hogwarts Library," he replied bluntly. Their raised volume of conversation left many echoes bouncing off the chamber walls, and Susan almost looked haunted by their repetitive accusations.

"And if anyone knew, we'd be sent to Azkaban for being dark, so stop!" she said tensely. He wasn't in much of a position to argue, seeing is he would probably need her help to get out of the cavern. Funny though that she didn't try and deny it the second time. Definitely willful ignorance.

"Alright," he replied calmly. He saw her body relax, as though invisible stings had been released.

"I'm sorry Ed, I'm just frustrated because I don't know how to get you out of here."

"It's okay Su, I'm fine," he said trying to pull himself again. And just as he was trying to prove a point, his chest released some additional pain, making him wince and falter again. It felt a bit embarrassing.

"Yes, you seem to be in ship shape and Bristol fashion," she replied sarcastically. He laughed at her teasing, once again filling the cavern with echoes. There has to be some way out,' he thought. If only he had a broom. Then again, in this condition, it wouldn't do him much good, but it might get Su out to find help. Might. Her skills on a horse did not transfer to a broomstick as fluidly as they had for him. He still might as well suggest it, he reasoned.

"Can you transfigure a broom?" he asked, hopeful.

"No, I can't, there's too many runes in one for me to do it properly. It doesn't help I'd have to do it from memory," she replied. She began to pace, staring at the ceiling, as though hoping a solution was painted up there. Then again, she might be praying for Aslan, but he knew she hadn't done that since Caspian's coronation. At least that's what she had said when Lucy and Peter had tried to mention Aslan…or Narnia for that matter. He sighed again, feeling a bit of discomfort from his injuries. Perhaps he needed to do that. Just as he began, Susan's eyes lit up, and grabbing her wand, she wove complicated patterns in the air. A rock began to morph into a type of chair, which quickly sprouted tires from its sides. Soon enough, she stopped and momentarily admired the wheelchair she had just conjured. Mouthing a silent 'thank you' to the cavern roof, Edmund stared at her grinning, glad she had a solution to move him.

"It should work well enough," she said, panting.

"What about the uneven ground?" he asked as cheekily as he could, pointing to nearby crevices.

"Shush, prat. I can levitate the chair over those," she replied with a faint smile, as she slowly levitated him into it. Many little jolts of pain emerged and faded as he slowly watched his body move into its temporary resting place. It was an odd feeling, to say the least. He hissed in pain as he finally landed.

"Ugh, I don't like this," he moaned. Susan tutted.

"Neither do I, but at least we can find another exit." She began pushing him around as they walked the length of the cavern. Crossing that distance took longer than normal since there were several detours and levitations required, but finally they made it. Before them stood a large, circular door decorated by more snakes. Susan looked nervous, Edmund noted. Perhaps they reminded her of _you know who_ he joked to himself. He saw her trying to pry it open with her fingers without much luck.

His recurring thoughts of King Tom the Wise and his sister's efforts gave him yet another idea. Well the same idea as before. An idea that Susan still wouldn't like.

::Open!:: he hissed as quietly as he could. It still didn't save him from her furious glare.

"What did I-" she started, but was interrupted by the screech of metal against metal. Edmund saw the snakes withdraw to one side of the door, the sound almost imitating the hissing of adders. Susan seemed to go pale at their movements, releasing her grip on the door. Time seemed to slow down as the door's serpentine mechanism unlocked and swung the door open on its ancient hinges. Susan's face was filled with conflicting emotions, with rage and fear being chief among them.

"Look, I know what you said Su, but we might need to use everything we've got to escape," said Edmund, trying to show understanding to his struggling sister. She stood there silent for a moment, almost dazed. Whether from the door's eerie workings or his own words, he could not tell.

"Well, the sooner we get out of here the better," she replied, pulling out her wand. She quickly levitated the wheelchair through the door, without another word. The new cavern seemed very different from the last one. To Edmund, this cavern looked…well, polished. Ornately carved stone snake heads shone brightly in the same yellow-green glow, water emitting from their mouths into pools below. The black floor reflected the pale ceiling, and for a moment the siblings stood there in awe. In spite of pain and exhaustion, both were amazed at this sight.

"Unbelievable," breathed Susan, her gaze drawn to the statue at the end of the hall. It appeared somewhere between human and hydra, with a gaping maw that seemed closed off by stone.

"Where are we?" pondered Edmund.

"In a legend," responded his sister, her eyes still fixated on the statue.

"What do you mean?"

"To-Someone told me a story of a secret room in Hogwarts a long time ago," she stammered. It dawned on him what she spoke of.

"The Chamber of Secrets," he whispered. "Salazar Slytherin's ultimate failsafe to defend the castle." She nodded, and started pushing his chair down the chamber to the statue of Slytherin. "Do you think there's an exit this way?" he asked her hesitantly.

"It's worth a try," she replied, finally stopping in front of the statue's mouth. It certainly resembled the last door the siblings had entered. He gave his sister a glance to gage if he could hiss in broken parseltongue again. She caught his gaze and rolled her eyes.

"Go," she said, resignedly. "The sooner we get you to the infirmary, the better." That was all he needed.

::Open:: Nothing happened. He tried again.

::Open!:: Still no change.

::Be Open!:: he hissed, trying different words. These haphazard attempts continued for a few minutes, to no avail. Edmund felt frustrated by his rustiness, but he couldn't give up.

::Command you to-:: he started, but did not finish.

::O Great Salazar Slytherin, open thy mouth:: hissed Susan, partly exasperated, and partly desperate. Edmund let his jaw drop again as he stared at her. She seemed mortified, as though she'd shot someone with an arrow or a lethal spell. The blocked passage rumbled, and gave way to yet another dark void. Unlike the last time, both the siblings backed away from the darkness. Then something called out to them from within.

::Maaaasssssssterr:: Edmund felt a chill down to his bones, and he could tell that they needed to leave.

"Run!" they both cried. Edmund hated that he couldn't move and his sister was not running fast enough.

::Wait!:: The hissing seemed closer this time. Behind them, something was moving quickly, and he knew they had to get out now. If they could just get past the door and seal it, they might be safe. These panicked thoughts were put on hold when his sister stopped abruptly, and he nearly fell out of the chair. He barely noticed the pain the excess momentum caused as he stared at a wall of liquid mercury barring their passage. Further observation quickly revealed this wall of mercury was actually serpentine.

Over fifty feet long, an enormous snake filled the chamber, its eyes distinctly closed shut. Its body was curled in a wide circle around the siblings, and its head was bobbing slowly. It would stick out its tongue, tasting the air for their fear. 'We are definitely going to die,' he thought, when the snake began to speak to them.

::One of you smells like my old master. Which one of you is his heir?:: the snake hissed, the sound reverberating against the chamber walls. Neither one of them could move; fear had effectively paralysed them. 'We defeated Jadis, Giants, wolves, and other evils, but this snake is what kills us? Unbelievable.'

::Speak! I know neither of you is a mute. I could hear-:: the snake stopped mid-sentence and jerked its head. He heard Susan hold her breath. The snake turned its head towards them, still refusing to show its eyes.

::Where do you come from, son of Adam and daughter of Eve?:: That caught Edmund by surprise. It appeared to have caught his sister off-guard as well.

::We we are f-from London, O snake:: replied Susan. If a snake could look extremely unamused, that was the expression the giant one in front of them displayed.

::I am no mere snake. I am a Basilisk, daughter of Eve:: the basilisk replied haughtily. It caused Susan to noticeably flinch. ::But that is beside the point. I know you lie of your origins. Never in all my time in this world have I smelled the Lion's scent. So, what news have you, messengers of Aslan?::


End file.
